RE LOG Spring '25

SPRING 2025 Ransom Everglades LOG 25 Day one was the most difficult and uncomfortable to endure. Once we arrived at our group’s starting location, our instructors laid out the ground rules and informed us about the roles of each specific bucket. When I heard there was a bucket shared amongst the group for bathroom usage with only one toilet paper roll shared by everyone for the entirety of the trip, and another for cleaning our eating utensils and bowls by simply rinsing them in the murky water with rocks for scrubbing, I was not jumping for joy. We transferred our personal items into dry bags, consolidated clothes and items, and left behind what was deemed unnecessary, which forced me to leave behind many articles of clothing that I strategically planned for each day. We then reviewed the parts of the silver and weather-worn canoes that would transport us to our different locations throughout our adventure. Next, we were assigned a partner, ate a quick pre-prepared trail-mix snack, and loaded our canoes carefully. We began rowing in the marshy Everglades that we imagined to be full of scaly alligators, along with trees and foliage with empty nests, and ibises perched on branches awaiting meals. Although we rowed the least amount the first day of the three, the strenuous paddling proved to be more challenging than expected, and day one posed the most obstacles for everyone. The numerous unsuccessful attempts to manipulate the direction of the canoes utilizing the draw and pry strokes learned in PE, the failed communications shouted between partners echoing through the open waters, which sent flocks of birds to fly into the horizon, added to the stress. Everyone’s patience was tested when paddling through the daunting maze of mangroves full of spiders that dangled from the tunneling canopy of trees and maneuvering through the fallen branches that scraped the bottom of the canoes. Groups became stuck between the rough mangrove trunks, enclosing their canoes within the narrow passage and causing frustration amongst everyone. Throughout the paddle, though, the counselors were quick to regularly check on me, ensuring that I was on top of my necessary food and insulin intake and that I did not overexert myself. Once sunset approached, we anchored our canoes and boarded them up on a clear lake, which was a tedious process that we exhaustingly accomplished. Arms burning, Noelle Dubose ’28 Photos by Jorge Ascui